Thimble



May 25 1926.

A. OLEVIN THIMBLE Filed Nov. 22, 1922 ADOLPI-I OLEVIN, or HIGHLAND PARK, iviicniean.

TI'IIMBLE.

Application filed November 22, 15922. Serial No. 602,496.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a thimble and has for its object the provision in a thimble of means for severing the thread used in sewing.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a thimble of a cutting member adajf ted for movement into and out of operative position.

Another object of the: invention is the provision of .a thimble having a cutting member mounted thereon and provided with a guide member for permitting the movement of said cutting member into operative position and for shielding the same when moved to inoperative position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood from a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on substantially line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the knife used in the invention,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a thimble having a modified form of the in vention shown in section,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on substantially line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a further modified form,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on substan tially line 77 of Fig. 6,

F 8 is a top plan view of the form shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the invention with the cutting member removed.

The invention is adapted for use with thimbles used by tailors, seamstresses and the like in hand sewing for facilitating the passage of the needle through the fabric worked upon. After the proper amount of sewing has been done and it is desired to sever the thread so as to release the needle from the fabric the operator either bites the thread or uses a pair of scissors or a detached knife to cut the thread. Often the scissors or knife has been mislaid so that a loss of time results. A biting of the thread will soon result in injury to the teeth. To provide means which will be separated from the main body of the thimble V and the upper end thereof is merely raised up from the thimble suiiiciently to provide a passage way forthe cutting member 17 so that the passage formed by the guide members 13 and 1a is open at the end adjacent the open end of the thimble and closed at the opposite end so as to limit the movement of the cutting member in said passages. The knife 17 is wider at its base than at its point so as to provide a shoulder 16. The knife blade is positioned in the passages formed by the members 13 and 14, the wide end thereof being so positioned that when the blade is moved to the operative position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the shoulder 16' will engage the closed end of the passage and its movement thereby limited, the knife blade being adapted for slidable movement in said passages. The blade is provided adjacent its butt end with a raised portion or rib 18 which may be engaged by the finger nail for imparting slidable movement to the blade.

The knife blade is provided with a cutting edge 18" having a beveled side 18 which inclines toward the back of the knife so as to provide a cutting edge sharpened on only one side. It has been found from experience that a blade having only one side sharpened is more efiicient when used by the seamstress for ripping purposes, as it will not cut the fabric on the under side of the blade. The portion 21 of the thimble lying between the guides forms the backing surface along which the blade is adapted to slide.

In the form shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. '7 the top 22 of the thimble is province with a recess stamped therein, to the side walls of said recess 23 is pivot-ally mounted adjacent its butt end a knife blade 24, a suitable rivet 25 being projected through said side walls. In this case the knife blade is raised to operative position in the same manner as the blade of a pocket knife.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a cup shaped cap 526 is provided which is adapted to fit tightly over the top end of the thimble. The cap is provided on its outer surface of the closed end with a recess 27 stamped therein having side walls 28 through which is projected a suitable ivet 25 for pivotally mounting the knife blade 52% therein.

The thimble may be made from any desirable material which will serve the puraoses and when it is desired to sever the thread used in sewing the cuttin member is moved to operative position and when the cutting operation is over it is again moved to inoperative position so that the thimble to all intents and purposes serves the purpose of the ordinary thimble.

I am aware that v rious modifications and changes may be made in the specific structure of the thimble but I do not wish to limit myself to the precise forms of structure shown but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as, come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described'my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A thimble of the class prising a main body portion having channel formed guide members punched therefrom and provided with an integral rib projecting between said guide members. said rib lying in its original position and. said guide members being pressed outwardly of the periphery of the main body of said described comthimble; a cutting elementslidably mounted in said channels, said cutting element having a recess formed on the inner side thereof; and an abutment member punched from said rib and adapted for engagement in said recess upon the movement of said cutting element to a predetermined position.

2. A. thimble of the class described comprising amain body portion having struck therefrom oppositely disposed J channel shaped guide members pressed outwardly from the periphery of'said main body portion; a central rib extending medially of said channel shaped guide members and formed integral with said mainbody portion; and a cutting element slidably positioned in said guide memberstand adapted for slidable engagement'with said rib.

3. A thimble of the class described comprising a main body portion having oppositely disposed channel shaped guide members struck therefrom pressed outward 1y from the periphery thereof; a rib integral with said main body portion and extending intermediate said guide members: a shoulder formed on the outer surface of said rib: a cutting element mounted slidably between said guide members and provided with a recess for the reception of said shoulder upon movement into registration therewith for locking said cutting element against slidable movement.

' In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification at Detroit, inthe county of Wayne and State of Michigan.

, ADOLPH OLEVIN. 

